Day: July 12, 2026

Bridges are under water, cornfields are flooded and classes and work are cancelled in northeast China as Typhoon Bavi continues moving north, prompting several local governments to issue emergency alerts. On Monday, Shenyang, capital of the northeastern province of Liaoning, said all classes at junior high, primary schools and kindergartens were suspended for the day, along with construction work and outdoor activities, while 94 tourist attraction sites remain closed. Typhoon Bavi brings heavy rain, triggers floods in northern and eastern China A government notice encouraged other employees to work from…

The universe teems with planets, yet their origins and evolution remain among science’s most enduring mysteries. Theoretical astrophysicist Shigeru Ida of the Institute of Science Tokyo has spent more than four decades in this field – and is now bringing his expertise to China. Ida, a former president of the Astronomical Society of Japan, has led the Japanese Society for Origins of Life and Astrobiology since 2025, and is widely regarded as one of the world’s most influential planetary scientists. On July 3, Westlake University in the eastern Chinese city…

Wu Shicun is the founding president of China’s National Institute for South China Sea Studies and chairman of the Huayang Centre for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance. In this interview, the first in a series about the South China Sea dispute, he discusses ways Beijing can respond to rival claimants. This interview first appeared in SCMP Plus. For other interviews in the Open Questions series, click here. With Manila intensifying its “transparency” campaign, how does China view the current situation and what challenges does it face? Manila’s so-called “assertive transparency”…

A newly emerged image of a PLA J-16 multirole fighter jet in a rare, heavy air‑superiority “extreme loadout” configuration points to an extension of long-range tactical capabilities, according to a Chinese military magazine. In an analysis published this month, Ordnance Science and Technology said the photo of a J‑16 carrying multiple long‑range missiles circulating in May showed that China’s air force had developed more offensive tactical capabilities. “This J-16 sortie used 10 external-weapon hardpoints, already approaching the extreme-load ‘beast mode’, forming a sharp contrast with the restrained loadout methods shown…

Europeans are reconsidering who their countries should partner with in an increasingly uncertain world. A June survey of 24 European Union countries by Public First on whether to have closer ties with the United States or China found opinion divided. Eight leaned towards China, nine favoured the US and seven were split. This is not just a question of economics or geopolitics. It is about reputation as well. China has sought to portray itself as a more stable and reliable long-term partner as Washington becomes increasingly unpredictable. Whether that perception…

Legendary inventor Nikola Tesla’s dream of transmitting electricity wirelessly never became a reality on Earth. But more than a century later, Chinese scientists believe the concept could find its first practical application on the moon. Their proposal focuses on the moon’s south pole, where crater rims receive near-continuous sunlight while permanently shadowed regions nearby – believed to contain valuable “water ice”, or frozen water trapped on or beneath the lunar surface – remain in perpetual darkness. Instead of relying on long cables or heavy batteries, future lunar rovers exploring these…

China’s new law on ethnic unity signals a shift in Beijing’s focus from handling specific ethnic matters to assimilation, according to a party ethnologist. However, it has triggered concerns from the United States and the European Union about forced assimilation and the potential for “extraterritorial application”. An article about the law published in the Beijing Daily on Monday sought to clarify the fundamental transition in China’s ethnic policy. “The enactment of the law means that the focus of China’s ethnic work is shifting from ‘transactional governance’ to ‘holistic governance’ focused…